Floor care programs today are primarily used to both protect and enhance the appearance of a floor substrate. A variety of materials including vinyl, marble, terrazzo, ceramic, linoleum, wood, etc. are used as floor substrates. Floor care programs can include many different types of products, but generally involve the use of a sealer and/or finish applied to the surface of the floor substrate. This finish is then maintained with the use of cleaners and tools, which can include various buffing or burnishing machines. Although these programs are very effective they are considered a large expense to customers. Additionally, if a surface becomes worn or unsatisfactory over time, it is necessary to entirely remove the floor substrate, to provide a new fresher look to the floor.
In retail locations it is commonplace to place advertising and/or directions in locations readily visible to the customer or client. Recently, several companies have begun producing floor graphics to meet the needs of advertisers. These graphics consist of a printed film covered with some kind of top laminate meant to both protect the graphic and provide a non-slip surface. Unfortunately, many of the floor stickers available today provide for a slip, trip and fall hazard. These graphics, which are applied over the floor finish, are very similar to a sticker in that a backing is peeled off of the graphic, exposing an adhesive. The sticker is then pressed down onto the floor finish. Such stickers are utilized by a variety of end users, but are primarily found in industrial and retail locations where informational data or advertising play an important role in impulse purchasing.
There are many product defects or deficiencies which make the presently available types of graphics less than desirable for use in flooring or other surface applications. These include distorted image, difficulty in application, wearing or tearing of the sticker, difficult maintenance due to use of mechanical equipment used in the floor care process which tend to tear up the edges of the graphic, and thickness of the graphic. Most often these deficiencies result in a poor appearance, low durability and a trip, slip and fall hazard for individuals walking over or around the graphic. Additionally, such graphics tend to accumulate dirt, especially where damage to the graphics has occurred and adhesive residue remains. Further, existing graphics are difficult to remove and sometimes take several coats of the surface finish off during removal thereby requiring that the entire surface be stripped and recoated with a finish. None of these products addresses the situation where it is desirable to change the appearance of the entire surface or a large portion of the surface.
In summary, a considerable number of deficiencies exist in the art relating to appearance modification and enhancing systems related to indoor and outdoor surfaces, such as floor surfaces, wall surfaces, ceilings, windows, vehicle surfaces, driveways, sidewalks, patios, and the like. While prior art stickers provide a means for advertising and including a graphic on a sticker, the poor print quality, difficult application, difficult maintenance, thickness, poor adhesion and/or wearing and tearing, low durability and labor intensive and expensive removal and recoating process make them less than desirable, expensive and time consuming options. Additionally, the danger posed by the worn or lifted edges of such stickers creates a safety hazard. Further, the appearance of such stickers is not very professional and is oftentimes dull or less than crisp. Additionally, when it is desirable to modify the appearance of the entire surface or large portions thereof, few options other than the expensive removal and replacement of the substrate exist.
Thus, there is an ongoing search for an appearance modification system which would enable a surface to be altered partially or in its entirety, which can be quickly and easily applied yet is readily removable and protected from scratches, scuffs, gouges and other damage by maintenance equipment and general wear and tear. In particular, there is a need for an improved appearance modification system which overcomes the shortcomings of the stickers of the prior art.